Set of interconnectable pressure elements for making construction models

ABSTRACT

A set of interconnectable pressure elements for making construction models, particularly buildings. These elements comprise knots, connecting rods restrainable to the knots, and walls for closing the spaces between the connecting rods and knots. A highly resistant rigid structure is formed, that can be readily provided at a low cost, since all of the elements can be easily obtained by plastic material molding.

SET OF INTERCONNECTABLE PRESSURE ELEMENTS FOR MAKING CONSTRUCTION MODELSThis invention relates to a set of interconnectable pressure elementsfor making construction models.

For the provision of construction models, particularly to the purpose ofteaching, playtime and model art, the use is made of severalinterconnectable and restrainable elements. The prior art elements havedisadvantages due to the high cost thereof, the need of a large amountof different elements for providing a construction, the difficulty andinstability in interconnecting the elements, and mainly because of therather unsatisfactory exterior appearance of the construction model asprovided by the prior art elements.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a set ofelements enabling by a limited amount of pieces different from oneanother to make up substantially any construction model, particularlybuildings with extremely high precision and accuracy.

It is another object of the invention to provide such elements that canbe interconnected by simple pressure, thus creating absolutely rigidstructures having inner and outer walls without any discontinuity.

A further object of the invention is to provide elements of theaforesaid character, which can be readily made by molding methods andthereby accurate and of low cost of production. These and still furtherobjects are attained by a set of elements comprising knots, elongatedconnecting rods having shaped ends thereof and lining plates, the set ofelements being characterized in that said knots have an amount of two tosix shaped zones angularly spaced apart from one another and pressureconnectable with the shaped ends of said rods, that at least on one sideof each shaped zone of the knots recesses are formed, and thatprojections pressure connectable in said knot recesses project from atleast one surface and adjacent the edges of said plates.

For a better understanding of the structure and features in a set ofelements according to the present invention, some practical embodimentsthereof will now be described by mere way of not limiting example,reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 to 6 are perspective views showing some embodiments ofinterconnectable elements; and

FIG. 7 is a partly exploded and partly sectional view showing aconstruction model as provided by the elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 6.

The basic and sufficient elements for providing construction models areof three types only, namely comprising knots, connecting rods and liningplates.

Four different embodiments are shown in FIGS. 1-4.

In FIG. 1 a knot is shown as comprising a single piece of rigid materialhaving six flat outer surfaces, designated by numeral 1, and such thatthey would lie on the six sides ofa cube, in which the knot could beenclosed. Centrally of each of said six flat surfaces 1 a shaped hole 2is formed having a straight axis (it should be noted that as describedthe axes of holes 2 are perpendicular to one another and angularlyspaced apart from one another by 90), on each side of which straightgrooves 3 forming recesses are provided, as clearly shown in thedrawing.

In FIG. 2 a knot has been shown as substantially provided by removingthe bottom portion of the knot shown in FIG. 1. For the sake of clarity,in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the same reference numerals have been used as thoseof FIG. 1. As shown in the drawing, the knot of FIG. 2 is laterallydefined by four flat surfaces 1 and at the top by a further flatsurface 1. A total of five holes 2 are formed in said flat surfaces 1,having straight axes and angularly spaced apart from one another bySidewise of each hole 2, straight grooves 3 are formed in the knot,similar to those shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 3 a knot is shown as substantially comprising one fourth of theknot shown in FIG. 1, the knot of FIG. 3 having three shaped holes 2formed at flat surfaces 1, grooves 3 of the above mentioned characterbeing formed sidewise of the holes 2.

Finally, in FIG. 4 another knot is shown, as having four straight shapedholes 2 formed at flat surfaces 1 and lined with straight grooves 3.

As clearly shown in the heretofore described drawings, the knots are ofsuch a structure as to be readily formed by molding a moldable material,such as plastic material or light alloy. To this end, the grooves 3 haveaxes that are always parallel with one of said holes 2, sidewise ofwhich said grooves are formed.

Obviously, in addition to the described knots, further knots could beprovided, but should in any case have between a minimum of two to amaximum of six shaped holes, while laterally of said holes, recessesshould always be provided, which however could even be different fromthe grooves heretofore described with reference to the drawing.

Another basic element for the set of elements according to the presentinvention comprises an elongated connecting rod, such as that shown in aperspective view in FIG. 5. This rod has a main elongated body 4,preferably square in cross-section,, with shaped extensions 5 projectingfrom each end thereof and centrally having a slot or groove, as clearlyshown in FIG. 5. These extensions 5 can be pressure inserted in the knotholes, as below described in connection with FIG. 7.

A third and last basic element for the set according to the inventioncomprises a lining plate, such as that shown in a perspective view inFIG. 6. This plate includes a wall 6, with ridges 7 projecting from oneside thereof and at least at the edges of the wall, which ridges can bepressure introduced and clamped within the knot recesses, and moreparticularly with reference to FIGS. 1-4, within the knot grooves 3.

Preferably, the knot surface is lowered by a step having a same heightas the width of walls 6, at that zone where the knot surface is oppositeto the surface of the lining plates in the construction models as madeby the described elements, thereby allowing that the knot surfaces andthe adjacent surfaces of the walls 6 opposite to those surfaces havingthe ridges 7 projecting therefrom, lie on a same plane along with thesurfaces of the rods 4 adjacent to the associated walls.

By means of the above described elements, the most varied constructionmodels, such as small house models, can be made. In FIG. 7 there isschematically shown an assembling of the elements heretofore mentioned:for the sake of more clarity in description, elements similar to oneanother have been designated by different reference numerals.

In this FIG. 7, two rods 9 and 10, respectively, are coupled and fixedlypressure retained to a four-hole knot 8, while a further rod 11 has beendrawn as slightly spaced apart from said knot.

The upper end of rod 11 is in turn coupled to a knot 12 having threeholes at right angles to one another, to which a rod 13 is also coupledand to which a rod 14 is juxtaposed, the end shaped extension of thelatter has not yet been introduced into the corresponding hole of knot12. Opposite the left free end of the rod 9, there is shown a knot 15(such as that shown in FIG. 3), in one hole of which the extensionprojecting from the free end of rod 9 can be inserted and clamped.Similarly, a rod 16 and a rod 17 can then be connected to said knot 15,which rod 17 can in turn be connected to a rod 13 by a knot, not shownon the drawing.

Through the knots and connecting rods as shown in FIG. 7, entirely rigidframes can be simply and readily made, which frames may have also verycomplex conformations, time by time using different types of knots.

After connecting the rods with the knots, lining plates are introducedinto the spaces defined by said knots and rods, which lining plates areinteded to form the walls, floors or ceilings for the construction beingmade. Preferably, these lining plates are used by pairs: for example,each pair comprise a plate 18 and a plate 19 having ridges 20 and 21,respectively, facing one another and pressure fitted within the groovesas provided in the knots on the side of the shaped holes of said knots.Thus, as clearly shown in FIG. 7, a construction wall comprises twolining plates kuxtaposed to and spaced apart from each other (so thatthe construction wall is of the drum" type), and it is important to notethat without noticeable clearances said plates insert between the spacesdefined by the connecting rods and knots at those zones of the knotswhere the latter are lowered by a step having the same height as theplates. Thus, construction models can be made, in which the frontsurfaces of the knots, connecting rods, and lining plates comprisesmooth surfaces, that is free of projections, so that constructionmodels can be made as perfectly reproducing the external appearance ofany building.

Of course, the described elements could be used for making anyconstruction models, such as buildings or containers, for general modelpurpose, for teaching purpose, or merely for play provision.

As above stated, the axes for the holes formed in the knots are arrangedso as to be perpendicular to or parallel with one another, but it isapparent that such axes could also make any angles to one another otherthan 4 or multiples of 90.

Preferably, all of the described elements are made by plastic materialor light 'alloy moulding, and are of highly reduced cost of production,while having a high degree in accuracy and finishing.

What I claim is:

l. A combination of pressure interconnectable construction elementscomprising:

connectors;

elongated connecting rods; and

cover plates;

each said connector having at least two connection means angularlyspaced from one another, and a recess formed on at least one side ofeach of said connection means; each said rod having a connection meansat each of its ends removably pressure fitted within said connectorconnection means; and

each of said plates having ridges projecting from at least one surfaceand adjacent the edges thereof, said ridges removably pressure fittedwithin the recesses in said connector.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connectors, rods,and plates are shaped and sized so as to form smooth flush surfaces whenassembled.

3. A combination of pressure interconnectable construction elementscomprising;

connectors;

elongated connecting rods; and

cover plates;

each of said connectors having at least two wall means angularly spacedfrom one another, wall means defining a hole in said connector, eachhole having a straight axis angularly spaced from the axis of any otherhole by multiples of 90, said wall means having a recess forming astraight groove on at least one side of each of said wall means, and astep adjacent said recesses having the same height as the width of saidplates;

each said rod having a connection means at each of its ends comprisingend extensions each of which is adapted to be matingly engaged andpressure fitted in said hole; and

each of said plates having ridges projecting from at least one surfaceand adjacent the edges thereof, said ridges adapted to matingly engageand pressure fit within said recesses in said connector whereby theouter surfaces of said plate and said connector are flush when saidridges are pressure fitted in said recesses.

1. A combination of pressure interconnectable construction elements comprising: connectors; elongated connecting rods; and cover plates; each said connector having at least two connection means angularly spaced from one another, and a recess formed on at least one side of each of said connection means; each said rod having a connection means at each of its ends removably pressure fitted within said connector connection means; and each of said plates having ridges projecting from at least one surface and adjacent the edges thereof, said ridges removably pressure fitted within the recesses in said connector.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connectors, rods, and plates are shaped and sized so as to form smooth flush surfaces when assembled.
 3. A combination of pressure interconnectable construction elements comprising; connectors; elongated connecting rods; and cover plates; each of said connectors having at least two wall means angularly spaced from one another, wall means defining a hole in said connector, each hole having a straight axis angularly spaced from the axis of any other hole by multiples of 90*, said wall means having a recess forming a straight groove on at least one side of each of said wall means, and a step adjacent said recesses having the same height as the width of said plates; each said rod having a connection means at each of its ends comprising end extensiOns each of which is adapted to be matingly engaged and pressure fitted in said hole; and each of said plates having ridges projecting from at least one surface and adjacent the edges thereof, said ridges adapted to matingly engage and pressure fit within said recesses in said connector whereby the outer surfaces of said plate and said connector are flush when said ridges are pressure fitted in said recesses. 